David Rutkauskas was fresh out of college when he decided to help his father fulfill his dream of opening a deli in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Health Deli, which opened on the base floor of an office building in 1987, became a family affair, with Rutkauskas and his parents all pitching in to shop...

Lawmakers and restaurant leaders gathered today at the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., to discuss pressing legislative issues affecting the industry.
Leading the day’s agenda was a focus on health care repeal.
“We want them [employees] to have access...

Billionaire owners, millionaire players, an increasingly disenchanted fan base, mounds of legal speak, and segments of the quick-service industry wondering what it all might mean to their bottom line—it’s a recipe for a dish many restaurant brands would rather not make.
The National Football League...

The still-struggling economy is stifling the business aspirations of would-be entrepreneurs who do not have the access to capital necessary to get an operation up and running. This is especially true in the quick-serve industry, where the costs of leasing a space and building out a kitchen can be...

Seattle’s Best Coffee, following in its recently announced tagline to be “Anywhere Great Coffee is Needed,” announced that it is providing support to nonprofit organizations in the form of coffee—and a $5,000 donation.
The brand recently launched its “Brew-lanthropy Project,” an effort to reward...

There is a constant murmur during the July 27, 2010, Congressional hearing before the Committee on Energy and Commerce. As politicians shuffle in and out from their burgundy leather seats, Ken Feinberg, made famous for distributing insurance claims to 9/11 victims and their families, stays still,...

A WWII soldier opened a package from home on the front lines, just before the Battle of the Bulge.
Two Cheerwines were among the contents, and he and another North Carolinian downed the two bottles and went to battle. Bob Morgon was one of few soldiers to come back from that battle, and he let...

On April 10, Mauricio Acevedo, the CEO of Miami-based crepe concept BannaStrow’s, will head to India to visit Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi. While there, Acevedo will meet with entrepreneurs who are interested in partnering with the brand to open stores in each market.
But BannaStrow’s isn’t...

Pizza Patrón announced today the opening of its brand new Houston, Texas, restaurant located at 14405 Bellaire Blvd.The store was opened by long-time Pizza Patrón franchisees Bravo Pizzas Houston, LLC. This is the seventh store in the Houston market for this group of multi-unit operators.

Pancheros announced Adam Kaufman as the recipient of the 2014 Franchisee of the Year Award. Based in Columbia, Missouri, Adam was lauded for maintaining a superior level of service at his location and achieving double-digits sales growth within the first 18 months of opening.

The brand that lives by the motto, “Hot Wings, Cold Beer, Good Times,” announces the grand opening of its new Wild Wing Cafe location in Dunwoody, Georgia. The new restaurant will be the first of four new locations for local...

Aslam Khan, the largest franchisee of the Church’s Chicken system, accepted his award for 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year at the International Franchise Association’s annual convention earlier this week in Las Vegas. Church’s is one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant chicken chains,...

This February, Pieology Pizza became the latest restaurant to form a partnership with Daiya vegan cheese, which has become a staple on the menu at many fast-casual pizza chains, including Uncle Maddio’s and Blaze Pizza.

As demand for dairy- and gluten-free products grows, Daiya is hoping...

This month soft-serve monarch Dairy Queen turns 75. At its 10th anniversary, the company boasted more than 1,000 open and planned stores. Today, Dairy Queen counts more than 6,000 locations across 20 countries.

Kevin Kester’s family has been farming in the U.S. for generations. And it’s not just a couple of generations they’ve been farming; more like generations upon generations, way back to the 1600s, specifically in California since the 1860s. Today, Kester owns a 22,000-acre beef cattle ranch in...

When Lori Newcomb found out she had stage III ovarian cancer last year, she made it her mission to learn more about the disease and help other women fighting the same battle. She sat down with her husband, Chris Newcomb, cofounder and CEO of Southern quick-service chain Newk’s Eatery, and together...

Convenience stores are increasingly taking a larger slice out of the quick-serve pie with fresh food offerings. It’s become such a lucrative business for C-stores that Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based C-store chain that this week opened its 500th location, is planning stores designed more as fast...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...

When fast-casual chain Zoës Kitchen Inc. debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last April, the Plano, Texas–based Mediterranean-style eatery recorded its initial public offering at $87.5 million. Satisfying an investor appetite for investments within the trendy fast-casual space, Zoës’ strong...

Though U.S. consumption is well below other proteins today, seafood will likely be an increasingly important part of the American diet in the years to come. The country’s population is predicted to grow by 89 million between 2010 and 2050 to 401 million people. More people require more food—and...